


Of Love and Lust

by Untoward



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: 16th Century, 16th century London, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Mentions of Prostitution, Mutual Pining, Period-Typical Homophobia, Shakespeare!alex, prostitute!John, shakespeare au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 16:15:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10834791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Untoward/pseuds/Untoward
Summary: John goes to visit his friend Alexander at the theatre after a rough night.





	Of Love and Lust

**London, 1599**

The cold wind hit John's face as he leaned against the wall of the theatre. He closed his eyes and lifted his head in the direction of the wind, hoping the cold morning air wakes him up.

He looks ahead at the river bank, looking at the people that were walking down the street in a rush. He couldn't help but think about where they came from. Did they wake up at home this morning and decided to go for a walk, are they going to work as a writer, a university lecture or was it something less decent?

John watched a girl, no older than 18 walk done with her dress ripped by her breasts, her hair a mess and the rouge on her cheeks smudge. She had a look in her eye of shame, a look he has held himself, for other reasons than selling himself. That was the least of his problems at the moment.

John had woken up that morning, alone. There was a decent amount of money left on the bed side table, and the other side of his bed empty. He didn't care much, it had been a well off woman, who's husband had been off working for the past month. She had claimed herself desperate and John had reassured her she didn't have to explain herself to a whore. He was just there to get the job done.

He had felt particularly awful about himself that morning, as he thought back to the woman he had in his bed that night and couldn't help but wish it was someone else. John closed his eyes in frustration, he needed to stop, unless he wanted to be hung, he couldn't carry on with these thoughts.

_"Where are you taking me?" John asked Lucy, who had dragged him from the brothel and were now walking down the River Thames._

_Lucy looked back and dropped his hand from her's, coming up face him with a look of excitement in her eyes "We're going to see a play!"_

_"What?" John's eyebrows furrowed in confusion "Why are we doing that?"_

_"You're no fun!" She said, ignoring his question "I had a very generous gentleman bed me yesterday and I have enough money for groundling tickets at the globe."_

_She pointed to the rounded theatre at the side of the road and John just shook his head, turning back._

_"Lucy, I must work." He said in frustration "I've almost run out of money, I won't be able to eat!" He turned back to walk away, back to the brothel but Lucy had taken his arm quickly._

_"Please!" She shouted "They won't let me in without a man, and I've heard such good things about this play, I must see it."_

_John looked at her, she was only 17 years of age and she's already working highly for money. Today was her day off, and he wasn't going to deny her when she was looking at him with glazed over eyes._

_"Fine!" John said and Lucy squealed in delight, grabbing his forearm and taking him to the entrance._

_They brought their tickets and had entered the theatre. There were many people on the ground and Lucy, being small couldn't see the stage and she huffed in frustration._

_"I'm going to the front." She shouted over the noise of the people, and started pushing her way through the crowd, not caring who she pushed._

_John saw a few men starting to get angry at her shoving and he knew they would not hesitate to do unspeakable things to her, so he was quick to follow her. He set a hand on her shoulders to warn off anyone looking her way._

_She got to the front, leaning herself against the stage and she looked up at the seats on a higher level._

_"Look!" She screamed and pointed to one of the balconies "That's were the royals sit."_

_John rolled her eyes at her misplaced excitement "Its a shame we will never sit there, we deserve it more."_

_"Shh!" She glares at him "People have been killed for saying less, be careful."_

_The noise level didn't seem to decrease as the show started, but Lucy had gone quite. She was looking on the stage with wide eyes and John was surprised to be captivated at the prologue as well._

_The play goes on and John in surprised at how it's kept his attention for so long, but he's even more surprised when an actor enters._

_He tries to keep his composure as best as he can, and pass his staring off as concentration, but he isn't fooling anyone. He can't seem to stop gazing at the dark haired actor, even when he isn't delivering his lines. He speaks with so much passion, his arms waving around in manic gestures as he performs. John feels his face getting warmer when the actor addresses the audiences and him being front row, their gazes meeting every now and then._

_By the end of the play John was transfixed, while Lucy was skipping down the street as they made their way back to work._

_"... And the ending, could you believe how tragic? They just couldn't live without each other - John?" She looks back to find him staring at the river with glazed over eyes._

_"John." She nudges him and he looks over at her finally, raising his eyebrows in question._

_"I'm sorry, what were you saying?"_

_She rolls her eyes "Looks like something other than the play captured your attention, am I right?"_

_"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." He says quickly._

_"You think I didn't see you staring at the dark haired actor?"_

_"Lucy," he says slowly "you know very well I could be hung for something -"_

_"I know," She says quickly, but she stops in front of him "but I've seen you take countless of women up to your bed, and you've never seemed happy about it."_

_"Have you?" He asks quickly "Every time you take a man to your bed, do you feel happy about it?"_

_"No," she says quickly and shakes her head "no I haven't, but that's different." Lucy carries on, touching his shoulder gently "It's a different kind of pain," she sighs and carries on walking "He was the writer, too."_

_"Hmm?"_

_"The dark haired actor, he writes all the plays that are performed at the globe, his name is Alexander Hamilton."_

And that's how it started. Every time he was paid, he would set money aside and him and Lucy would go to see a play at the globe every time he could afford it. He became a regular and every time they would stand at the front Alexander's eyes would catch his and he would try his hardest not to turn red at the sight of his brown eyes.

Alexander had made sure to talk to him after his third visit, climbing down the stage straight after the play to make sure he didn't miss him. John and him had gotten to know each other and John found him to be many things; clever, funny and a little arrogant.

They had become fast friends and now, after 4 months John stands at the theatre entrances, waiting for Alexander to turn up early like he always does to get some writing done.

He sees him walking towards the door, his hands filled with scripts and scrap paper all filled with his handwriting and John smiles. Hopefully today will be one of the days Alexander shares his writing with him before he sees it on stage.

Alexander looks at the entrances and smiles when he sees John, walking towards him quickly.

"Good morning, Alexander." John says overly cheerfully and Alex furrows his eyebrows and doesn't say anything, just holds his papers out to him.

"Do you mind holding these for a second?"

John says nothing but takes the papers into his hand and Alexander opens the entrance of the theatre with his keys and walks in, John following behind them.

Alexander takes them from John and walks over to the stage, setting them down. He sits down on the stage and looks over at John with a smile, tapping the space next to him as an invitation.

John is quick to accept, sitting down next to him, close enough that there thighs touch but that doesn't matter, they've become awfully comfortable with each other for the past four months.

John sighs heavily, taking his curly hair that's failing out of the ponytail and tucking it behind his ear.

"Rough night?" Alexander asks as he sorts through his scrap pieces of paper, John gazed at his delicate fingers running over the writing on the page. John shook his head at the sinful thoughts that entered his mind.

Alexander knew what John's job was and he didn't judge him not even a little bit. He was an actor and a writer himself, they were looked down upon just as much as prostitutes were and seen as drunkards and gamblers. Alexander was neither, though.

John lets out another sigh and lays back on the stage his eyes gazing at the blue sky above him. "Like you wouldn't believe."

Alexander's heart broke at he looked at his dear friend. Alex knew the guilt he harbours every night he sleeps with a married socialite but he's tried so many times to convince him that it's not his fault. This is his only way of survival. But that's not the reason Alexander's heart breaks for John. Ever since he's gotten to know him, he's felt things he never has. Well, that's not entirely true. He's felt lust for people before but it wasn't just the need to be intimate. He's can had plenty of women whenever he wants, he's made a connection with John he can't explain but he just knows one thing: he wants him. He wants to love him as well as lust over him.

Alex sets his papers down and runs his finger up John's cheek, John leaning against the touch in comfort. Alex slips his fingers up John's hair and runs it through the blonde strands making John close his eyes.

"How about I cheer you up, hmm?" Alex says quietly as he looks at John with hooded eyes.

John's lips turn up into at that "What do you suggest?"

"I can read you an extract from tonight's play."

John shoots up quickly "But its opening night."

"Yeah."

"You've never done that before." John was in shock, bitting his lip.

"Anything to make you happy, my dear Laurens."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, feedback is totally welcomed I really love hearing what people have to say, so please do! 
> 
> I will also be willing to add to this/flesh this out so if is wanted? I want to do this I'm in love with this au.
> 
> This was also posted to my tumblr: theschuylerslsters (I wrote it as historical!lams on tumblr)


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